Surprise! Introducing- Elihu. Ellie who? That’s what I said. Elihu.

So there’s been this 4th guy there the whole time. I picture Elihu like a spectator at Wimbledon; his head swiveling with each smack of the theological racket as the argument sails back and forth.

Here’s what we know about Elihu: “Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram.” Also, he says he’s the youngest guy there. And we know he was brought up to respect his elders. And his name means “God of him.” That’s about it.

Fun fact- the only Buz in the Bible was Abraham’s nephew- another reason why scholars think that Job was a contemporary of Abraham. Oh, and remember how Uz is pronounced “oots?” Well, Buz is pronounced “booze.” 🤓 Cheers. 🍻

Ootz and Booze are mentioned in the same passage in Jeremiah 25:17-26. If you were to plot the known locations from this passage on a map in the order that they are listed, they seem to be named from west to east. Booze is listed with two nations (Dedan and Tema- not to be confused with Temu), said to exist “in the utmost corners” of…we know not where. According to my lexicons, both Dedan & Tema were located on the northern Arabian peninsula. So, maybe Booze and Elihu were the ancestors of a Saudi oil tycoon.

Elihu the Boozite is ticked. He’s angry at Job because he has doubled down on his innocence but mainly because he has claimed that God Almighty is in the wrong for not explaining Himself.

And Elihu is angry with Larry, Moe, and Curly because rather than answer Job’s arguments, they have basically resorted to name-calling and perhaps some slapstick eye-poking. Here’s his opener to them:

“I have waited all this time, listening very carefully to your arguments, listening to you grope for words. I have listened, but not one of you has refuted Job or answered his arguments. Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent? Must I also remain silent? No, I will say my piece. I will speak my mind. For I am full of pent-up words, and the spirit within me urges me on. I am like a cask of wine without a vent, like a new wineskin ready to burst! I must speak to find relief, so let me give my answers.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭32‬:‭11‬-‭12‬, ‭16‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love that we still use the phrases coined here by Elihu. Have you ever given someone “a piece of your mind?” You have Elihu to thank for that turn of phrase.

His case begins in chapter 33. It’s kind of a masterclass in communication. Cue the cinematic music and announcer voice…

“Ever wished you could command the attention in a room? Do you need skills in taking apart an opposing argument, but to do it in such a way that you earn everyone’s respect and trust? Would you like to speak more persuasively while sounding more like a poet than an attorney? Arguments should be more than yelling or calling the other guy a windbag. Join me on a quest to uncover the secrets of brilliant communication. I’m Elihu the Buzite and this is my Masterclass. Let’s begin.”

1 – Be humble and kind.

“Look, you and I both belong to God. I, too, was formed from clay. So you don’t need to be afraid of me. I won’t come down hard on you.” Job‬ ‭33‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ever been chewed out? It feels belittling. I appreciate Elihu for collecting himself enough to count to 10 and identify with Job as a fellow human being.

2 – Restate the other person’s argument.

“You have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard your very words. You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin; I am innocent; I have no guilt. God is picking a quarrel with me, and he considers me his enemy. He puts my feet in the stocks and watches my every move.’“
‭‭Job‬ ‭33‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Restating what you think you heard gives the other person a chance to hear the argument outside of their own heads.

“Well, it sounds kinda bad when you say it like that.” – [possibly Job]

It also provides an opportunity for the other person to correct you if you have misunderstood them.

3 – Give your reasons for disagreeing.

“But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being. So why are you bringing a charge against him? Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints? For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.” Job‬ ‭33‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Elihu finally exposes the flaw in Job’s reasoning:

Just because you didn’t hear God, doesn’t mean He wasn’t speaking.

🫳🏼🎤

Let’s just sit here on that for a sec.

🪑

Still sitting…

Read it again.

Job has ranted for many-a-chapter that God has not responded to his cries for an explanation. But is that true? What if He has and Job was just too distracted with proving himself to notice?

If Job can’t hear the still small voice, what’s it gonna take? A whirlwind? 🌪️

(If you love music and it speaks to you, bail out on the blog for a minute and go listen to God Speaking by Mandisa.)

I could be wrong and way out in left field here but, it seems like Job’s overall shtick has been “God is all-powerful and always right. I can’t argue with that. But since He is perfectly just, He must explain to me why He has allowed this tragedy to befall me. A just God explains Himself.”

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have said, “God is all-powerful and always right. We can’t argue with that. The explanation is obvious, Job. You have sinned. That’s why He has allowed this tragedy to befall you. That’s all the explanation you need.”

Elihu says, “You’re all wrong.” “God is all-powerful and always right. We can’t argue with that. And since He is perfectly just, we can assume that His motive is pure and He has a good reason for what He does. Therefore, He does not need to explain to you, Job, why He has allowed this tragedy to befall you. A just God is right whether He explains Himself or not.”

Think about those 3 approaches for a moment. Which one feels most familiar?

We are getting down to brass tacks now. This is what I think the book of Job is all about.

If you ask most Christians what the book of Job is about, they’ll probably say, “Suffering.” Ok. Yes, but that’s very broad. I think it’s more about: Does God owe human beings an explanation for the suffering He allows? And if He gives that explanation, are humans listening closely enough to notice? “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Job and the four friends are unanimous in their agreement on God’s nature and character. God is eternal. Uncreated. All wise. All powerful. Perfectly just and always right. Where they differ is this: based on His character, what do we as humans have a right to expect of Him? Do we even have a right to expect anything?

As we grapple with these questions, Elihu gives a ray of hope. He’s talking about sinners and what God does to get their attention. Since they couldn’t hear His whisper, He begins to shout; in the form of life-threatening circumstances. Then this:

“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— He will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing. He will declare to his friends, ‘I sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it. God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light.’ “Yes, God does these things again and again for people. He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭33‬:‭23‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The word “angel” in this passage is the Hebrew word Malak. It doesn’t have to mean “angel” (as we imagine them thanks to Renaissance art). It refers to anyone who is sent or commissioned, typically by God. It can even refer to an ambassador, king, priest, or messenger. We now know, thanks to the NT, that God did indeed have One Who appeared before Him- a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright.

That’s exactly what Jesus did. Whoever wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews knew this.

“But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

For extra blessing-points, (and if you really want to see the connections between Job & the NT), just go read the first nine chapters of Hebrews. Like right now. I’d paste them all here but you can just go read them.

Elihu not only prophesies the future Heavenly Intercessor, he also foretells the resurrection! In the context he’s talking about healing from a terminal illness but it’s a picture of the resurrection of the saints.

Y’all, I like this Elihu guy.

In chapter 34 Elihu zeros in on God’s perfect justice as essential to His right to rule His creation. As far as I can tell, his whole speech basically boils down to this:

If God is just – as they all agree He is, then is it even possible for suffering from His hand to be wrong? even if He doesn’t explain it?

🛑✋

Go back and reread that a few times.

God is the only totally unbiased, honest, all-knowing being in existence. He knows every possible potential outcome given any possible scenario. He is infinitely powerful and wise. His judgment is always right. And He always does what is best for His creation because He is also utterly unselfish. Does a Being like that obligated to explain Himself to finite, lesser-beings that would probably not be able to wrap their heads around His purpose even if He told them?

“Must God tailor His justice to your demands?” Job‬ ‭34‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Excellent question, Elihu. And by the close of the chapter he hits the nail squarely on the head. He’s talking about people who are having a hard time:

“And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride. But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen, to say the Almighty isn’t concerned.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭35‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ever tried to argue with a proud, arrogant person? You might as well argue with a fence post. You can’t tell them anything. They know it all already. They don’t really want to hear from you. They just want to hear their ideas coming out of your mouth.

Think back on Job’s speeches. He starts off humbly enough. But the longer things go on, the more brazen he gets til he’s demanding that God show up (in person) and give him, a mere mortal, an explanation. Might he have gotten a little too big for his britches? Does God have to answer to Job? To you or me? Nope.

The lack of a reply from heaven is not proof of a lack of concern. Or, according to the famous old theologian, Garth Brooks, “just because He doesn’t answer, doesn’t mean He don’t care.”

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

THIS is how God demonstrates His love; the sacrificial death of the only begotten Son. Not by answering the demanding questions of human beings who may be feeling slightly entitled. Jesus is the quintessential answer to the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people.” Sin. And God’s victory over it. That’s why.

God is good. That’s not cliche. He is good in His nature. Better than Job. Perfectly good. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. And Jesus Christ knows what it’s like to have the worst happen, to cry out, and the heavens be silent. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”

“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

Remember how I said to keep an eye on the weather a few chapters back? Well, we finally arrived. Elihu breaks into a nutshell explanation of the water cycle (which is incredible! The ancients knew how it worked!). This is followed by a barrage of weather talk that continues into chapter 37, the last of his speech. I count 5 uses each of thunder and lightening. Three mentions of rain. And a smattering of clouds, stormy winds, and even ice, snow and heat.

Ok, I can’t help it- just for funzies…

“He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power. The wild animals take cover and stay inside their dens.” Job‬ ‭37‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You realize what he’s talking about right? It’s the first-ever record of an ancient snow day. ☃️ It snows. ❄️ And there’s rain. Meteorologists call this “wintry mix.” Everyone stops working. Even the animals stay home. See? Snow day.

I can practically hear Elihu shouting over the peals of thunder as the lightening gets closer, the wind picks up and by the end of it, the rain is coming down in sheets.

“Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from his mouth. It rolls across the heavens, and his lightning flashes in every direction. He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning. The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth. Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭37‬:‭2‬-‭3‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬, ‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I think it really was storming as Elihu finishes with a call to reverence the mighty Storm-Rider. Why? Because when I turn the page there’s a tornado. 🌪️

I’m terrified of tornadoes. And I know that they don’t drop out of clear blue skies. That’s why our town tests the tornado sirens on clear days- so people I won’t panic. On sweltering hot days (which Elihu mentions) when the thick clouds roll in and a warm front meets a cold one- you have storm conditions. I happen to know firsthand that the hail (ice) Elihu mentions often accompanies tornado-producing storm cells. The Lord is going to show up in a tornado in just a few more lines. And while He could pop one out of a clear blue sky if He wanted, this tornado appears on the heels of an entire chapter chock full of storm language. Coincidence? I doubt it. The storm brings a merciful end to this long debate.

🌪️

That’s it? It’s over?

Well…. No. Now it’s God’s turn. 😳

Ever walk into an argument among children? Particularly a group of children who have all misbehaved? Name-calling, accusations flying, fingers pointing, “that’s not fair!”, alliances form, sides are chosen, blame is thrown.

Child’s perspective: One of us is right and the other ones are in trouble.

Adult’s perspective: They’re all in trouble.

Well, in the next chapter, the Heavenly Adult shows up.

They are all in trouble. (Except for Elihu. He’s like me: the obedient 3rd born child who basically never gets in trouble.)